Device for enveloping and fixing a bundle of electrical cables

ABSTRACT

The bundle is inserted into a channel-shaped elongate shell ( 2 ) through a longitudinal entry aperture ( 4 ) the width of which, at rest, is less than the diameter of the bundle and can be increased by elastic deformation of the shell, the latter itself being inserted into an elongate housing ( 7 ) provided in the support, through a longitudinal entry aperture ( 8 ) the width of which is less than the outside diameter of the shell at rest.  
     Application to the electrical power supply to apparatus and/or to the transmission of electrical signals in a motor vehicle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a method and a device for enveloping abundle of electrical cables and fixing it along an elongate support,especially for the electrical power supply to apparatus and/or thetransmission of electrical signals in a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The expression “bundle of electrical cables” designates a set ofelectrical wires or of cables placed side-by-side or grouped togetherwith one another in such a way as to extend side-by-side along a commonpath. Generally, each cable or wire is placed beside the others overonly a part of its length, and deviates away from them over at least oneother part of its length so as to reach elements to be connectedelectrically. The present invention relates more particularly to theenveloping and the fixing of a set of such side-by-side parts of cablesor wires.

[0003] In motor-vehicle applications especially, it is necessary toenvelop the bundles of cables in order to prevent friction between themand adjacent elements, which is due to vibration and to the movement ofthe vehicle, causing damage to the cables or wires on the one hand, andcausing noise to be emitted on the other hand. This enveloping can becarried out by means of adhesive tapes wound in a spiral around thewires in such a way as to cover them at least partially, and cover themcompletely in places. Another function of the adhesive tapes is to makethe wires of the bundles integral for their mounting and their retentionin the vehicle. These adhesive tapes may be expensive, and the tapingoperation may be expensive in terms of manpower. Moreover, the sounddeadening obtained is not always entirely satisfactory.

[0004] As to the fixing of the bundle onto its support, which is, forexample, the crosspiece supporting the cockpit in the case of a bundleserving to connect equipment of the dashboard of a vehicle, this isachieved by metal or plastic clips distributed along the length of thebundle. This method of fixing is itself also relatively expensive interms of manpower and does not provide perfect immobilisation of thebundle over its entire length.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks.

[0006] The invention especially envisages a method of the type definedin the introduction, and makes provision for the bundle to be insertedinto an elongate, elastically deformable, channel-shaped shell, througha longitudinal entry aperture, the shell being itself fixed to thesupport in a position where the width of the said entry aperture is lessthan the diameter of the bundle.

[0007] When the diameter of the bundle varies along the length of theshell, the width of the entry aperture is less than the maximum diameterof the bundle.

[0008] Optional characteristics of the invention, which arecomplementary or alternative, are set out below:

[0009] the shell is fixed to the support before the bundle is insertedinto it. Thus the shell can serve as a support for assembling andtransporting the wires or cables constituting the bundle, in the variousconfigurations thereof corresponding to the options of the vehicle.

[0010] the bundle is inserted into the shell before the shell is fixedto the support.

[0011] the shell is fixed to the support by inserting it into anelongate housing provided in the support, through a longitudinal entryaperture the width of which is less than the outside diameter of theshell when the shell is surrounding the bundle.

[0012] the said housing is provided in an extruded part of the support.

[0013] the shell features two rims turning away from one anotheroutwards from the edges of its entry aperture respectively, which aresuitable for facilitating the elastic dilation of the aperture duringthe insertion of the bundle and/or for protecting parts of wires movingaway from it at their exit from the support.

[0014] the shell is extruded.

[0015] the shell is made of cellular material.

[0016] the shell is made of polyethylene.

[0017] A further subject of the invention is a device for implementingthe method as defined above, comprising a bundle of electrical cables,an elongate shell in the form of an elastically deformable channel,suitable for receiving the said bundle through a longitudinal entryaperture, and means for fixing the shell along an elongate support, in aposition where the width of the said entry aperture is less than thediameter of the bundle.

[0018] Advantageously, the means for fixing the shell comprise anelongate housing provided in the support, suitable for receiving theshell through a longitudinal entry aperture the width of which is lessthan the outside diameter of the shell when the latter is surroundingthe bundle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The characteristics and advantages of the invention will be setout in more detail in the description below, by referring to theattached drawings.

[0020] FIGS. 1 to 4 are diagrammatic views in cross section showingsuccessive stages of the method according to the invention.

[0021]FIG. 5 is a view similar to the preceding ones, showing the deviceaccording to the invention on completion of the method.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022]FIG. 1 shows, in the rest state, that is to say in the absence ofelastic deformation, a shell 1 intended to receive a bundle ofelectrical cables (not represented) in the method according to theinvention. The shell 1 is an extruded component made of polyethylenefoam capable of undergoing an elastic deformation both by bending of itswall as well as by compression in the direction of the thicknessthereof, by virtue of its porosity. It features an Ω-shaped crosssection, the main part 2 of which, defining the body of the shell, iscurved over by more than a half-turn so as to delimit a cavity 3communicating with the outside through a residual aperture or slot 4.The part 2 is connected to two rims 5 going progressively away from oneanother outwards from the edges of the aperture 4.

[0023]FIG. 1 also partly shows a crosspiece 6 intended to extendtransversely at the front of the passenger compartment of a motorvehicle in order to support the dashboard and/or all or some of theequipment of the cockpit of the vehicle. The crosspiece 6 features alongitudinal housing 7 represented in the form of a groove which isproduced advantageously in a piece which is possibly extrudedconstituting the crosspiece or belonging to it. The wall of the groove 7is curved over substantially in correspondence with the outer surface ofthe body 2 of the shell 1, and the groove 7 communicates with theoutside through a longitudinal aperture 8 the width of which is lessthan the maximum width of the groove.

[0024] In the stage of the method represented in FIG. 1, the shell 1 ispresented facing the aperture 8, the aperture 4 being placed on theopposite side from the latter.

[0025] In the stage represented in FIG. 2, the shell 1 is pushed alongthe arrow F1 in such a way as to cause it to penetrate into the groove 7through the aperture 8. In the example illustrated, the size of the body2, at rest, in the direction of the width of the aperture 8 is greaterthan this width, in such a way that the edges 9 of the aperture 8 bearon the body 2, reducing the width thereof by elastic deformation. At theend of the insertion, as shown in FIG. 3, the shell 1 is relaxed andresumes its initial shape to the extent that the respective dimensionsof the shell and of the groove 7 so allow, a residual deformationpossibly remaining without impairing the function of the shell.

[0026] In the stage represented in FIG. 4, the bundle of cables 10 ispresented facing the aperture 4, and it is pushed along the arrow F2 soas to cause it to penetrate within the shell. The pushing force from thebundle spaces away the rims 5 by elastic deformation, and the wallthickness of the shell is locally reduced if necessary, by virtue of theporosity of the shell, when the bundle passes into its maximum diameterthrough the aperture 8.

[0027] As set out above, another way of working consists in mounting thebundle first of all into the shell, then the assembly thus obtained intothe support.

[0028] The final position is shown in FIG. 5. The bundle 10 is housed inthe cavity 3 and comes into contact with the shell 1 along at leastthree generatrices, the shell itself being in contact with the wall ofthe groove 7 also along at least three generatrices. This results inpositioning of the bundle without any play with respect to thecrosspiece 6 in the plane of the figure, that is to say in a planeperpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bundle. Thisretention is preferably further reinforced by a radial clamping of thebundle in the shell and of the shell in the groove, by virtue of theelastic deformation of the shell. It is also possible to leave aclearance between the shell and the bundle, the foam wall of the shellpreventing any noises from the bundle.

[0029] The path of the bundle of cables is not necessarilystraight-line. It may equally well be curvilinear and/or in a brokenline, especially when the support itself is not straight-line. Thehousing 7 is then shaped according to the desired path, and the shell ismatched to it by elastic deformation.

[0030] Although the use of a shell made of foam has been described, thatis to say having porous walls, it is also possible to use a shell with asolid wall. In this case, the reduction in thickness mentioned inconnection with FIG. 4, if it is necessary, that is to say if thethickness, at rest, of the wall is greater than half of the differencebetween the width of the aperture 8 and the maximum diameter of thebundle 10, is obtained by displacement of material parallel to thedirection of insertion of the bundle. Moreover, in the case in which thewidth of the shell is not greater, at rest, than the width of theaperture 8, this width is increased by elastic deformation, when thebundle 10 is inserted, in order to prevent the shell and the bundle fromcoming out of the housing 7.

What is claimed is:
 1. Method for fixing a bundle (10) of electricalcables to a support (6), especially for the electrical power supply toapparatus and/or the transmission of electrical signals in a motorvehicle, in which the bundle is inserted into an elastically deformable,channel-shaped shell (2), through a longitudinal entry aperture (4), theshell being itself fixed to the support in a position where the width ofthe said entry aperture is less than the diameter of the bundle,characterised in that the shell is an extruded elongate componentenveloping the bundle, the said entry aperture extending in thelongitudinal direction of the shell, and the bundle extending along thesupport which is itself elongate.
 2. Method according to claim 1, inwhich the shell is fixed to the support before the bundle is insertedinto it.
 3. Method according to claim 1, in which the bundle is insertedinto the shell before the shell is fixed to the support.
 4. Methodaccording to claim 1, in which the shell is fixed to the support byinserting it into an elongate housing (7) provided in the support,through a longitudinal entry aperture (8) the width of which is lessthan the outside diameter of the shell when the shell is surrounding thebundle (10).
 5. Method according to claim 4, in which the said housingis provided in an extruded part of the support.
 6. Method according toclaim 1, in which the shell features two rims (5) turning away from oneanother outwards from the edges of its entry aperture (4) respectively,which are suitable for facilitating the elastic dilation of the apertureduring the insertion of the bundle and/or for protecting parts of wiresmoving away from it at their exit from the support.
 7. Method accordingto claim 1, in which the shell is made of cellular material.
 8. Methodaccording to claim 1, in which the shell is made of polyethylene. 9.Device for implementing the method according to claim 1, comprising abundle of electrical cables (10), an elongate shell (2) in the form ofan elastically deformable channel, suitable for receiving the saidbundle through a longitudinal entry aperture (4), and means for fixingthe shell along an elongate support (6), in a position where the widthof the said entry aperture is less than the diameter of the bundle. 10.Device according to claim 9, in which the means for fixing the shellcomprise an elongate housing (7) provided in the support, suitable forreceiving the shell through a longitudinal entry aperture (8) the widthof which is less than the outside diameter of the shell when the latteris surrounding the bundle (10).